Ever-pointed pencil



lMay 27, 1930.

4P. vBARBERON EVER POINTED PENCIL 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Deo. 6. 1927 nat."fwlllllallmnwvlJllf.

A, Awe/vra FERRE aARzoN ATTORNEY May 27, 1930. P. BARBERoN EVER POINTED PENCIL Filed Dec. e. 192'?l s sheets-sheet 2 Y M u e n 3 MF- T f Y@ mA E F/EKKE May 27, 1930.4 P. BARBEn'oN 1,759,931

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VrrMiV//vV/r. y 7V. l Y/lJ//l/l//l//l/A Patented May 27, i930 PATENT OFFICE PIERRE BARBERON, OF LE vIIEA'YEI'J?, FRANCE EVER-POINTED PENCIL Application led December 6, 1927, Serial No. 238,125, and in Francel December 8, 1926.

My invention relates to an ever-pointed pencil of the type in which the vpieces of lead pass frictionally through the point of the pencil and are made to project from the pencil a predetermined amount by the operation of a control head or an actuating element adapted to descend and to rise in the main body of the pencil. l

In the known pencils of this class the pieces 1.0 of lead which are gripped by a clamp are pushed through the point of the pencil by means of said clamp.

In the pencil according to my invention, the pointed vend is pushed out and carries the leads along, the leads are theny maintained stationary while the pointed end is returned upward to the initial position and the extremity of the lead is uncovered.' Conse p quently the clamp is not used for pushing the leads but first to keep them free in such a manner that the pencil being held in a position substantially vertical with point turned downward, the point having been advanced relatively to the body of the pencil, the leads fall freely and come in contact withthe lead frictionally engaged at this point and second the clamp'holds and stops theupward movement of the leads when the pointed end returns to its normal position.

The attached drawings illustrate by way of example two embodiments of my invention invwhich like reference numerals refer to similar parts.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal, axial cross-section of the pencil in normal position with the lead in worn condition.

vFigure 2 is a longitudinal axial cross-sec tion of the pencil after complete return to writing condition with the lead propelled.

Figure 6 is an elevation of the guide tube illustrating the slot within which the clamp slides and the tapered cone.

Figures 7, 7a and 7b are horizontal crosssections taken on the lines VII-VII, VIP-VIIa and VIIb-VIID of Figure 1 respectively.

Figure 8 is an axial longitudinal cross-section of a second embodiment of my invention illustrating the pencil in normal position with worn lead.

Figure 9 is an axial longitudinal cross-section of said second embodiment illustrating the same after pressure on'the actuating element.

Figure 10l is a detailed elevation of the guide tube illustrating the slot and position of the lead.'

In the preferred form of my invention shown in Figures 1 to 7 b inclusiv`,tl1e'pei1cil comprises a main body 1 into which' is inserted, and frictionally held in fixed position, a` tube 2 having at the lower end the abutment 3 and at the upper end the screw plug 4. In the main body l is movable the guide tube 5 which extends continuously from the lower Aend 6 of the lead chamber 7 to the outer pointed end 8 of the pencil. Pointed end 8 of the` pencil has a slot 8a which allows said end 8 to resiliently and frictionally engage `the lead m, which may vary in'diameter. Pointedend 8 is screwed into the end of the guide tube 5; which traverses the abutments 3 vand screw plug 4 which are pierced with azcentral hole for this purpose.' As shown in Fig. 6, the tube 5 is pierced with a slot 9 whose lower end may be flat whilst at the upper end of the slot the tube comprises the tapered part l1 which serves as a cone to open the clamp. This clamp is disposed in the slot 9; and comprises a circular base portion 12 which slidably engages 4the inner wall of tube 2 and serves to guide it in the tube v2, and a circular tube of 95 resilient materiall longitudinallyv slotted to form two branches 13 which are resilient and lia-ve toothed jaws 14 on the interior side thereof to exercise pressure by the elasticity of said branches upon the lead m. The upper ends, Y

of said branches, above the clamping jaws 14, have abeveled shape as observed at 15, thus coacting with the opening cone 11 of the tube 5. The length of the slot 9 somewhat exceeds the length of the clamp, so as to permit the displacement of the opening cone with reference to the ends 15 of said clamp. This length determines the amount of the lead eX- tending out of the pencil at each operation. The distancev between the abutment 3 and screw plug 4 is somewhat greater than the height of the clamp, which is centered and guided by the tube 2.

The operation is as follows: Fig. 1 shows the normal position of the device, in which the projecting lead m is supposed to be worn oil". By pressing upon the movable upper head of the device (not shown), which isv mounted on the lead chamber 7, this latter, together with the guide tube 5, the pointed end 8, the lead, and the clamp, will be lowered against the action of the spring 7', until the said clamp, as shown in Fig. 2, makes contact with the abutment 3; then as the movement continues, the guide tube will further descend, drawing with it the lead m which is engaged by friction in the pointed end 8, whilst the u per piece of lead NIX-held by the clamp (see lgure 23)-will remain stationary until the opening cone 11 (Fig. 3) is inserted between the ends 15 of the branches of the clamp whereby this latter will be opened. The piece of lead m whichit holds is thus released, and falls to make contact with the lead m situated below it.

.When the head of the device is no longer pressed down, the guide tube and the clamp will rise by the action of the s ring 1'. Clamp 13 is raised with the guide tube by reason of frietional engagement of branches 13 therewith. When upper ends of branches 13 make contact with the upper abutment 4; they are disengaged from the opening cone 11 and again close upon the lead m', as shown in Fig. '4. However the guide tube continues to rise by the action of the s ring 1', and since the lead which is held by t e clamp is stopped in its motion by the latter and the lead piece m is stopped by lead m', the pointed end 8 will return to its initial position, uncovering the lower piece of lead m for the required length because the friction between lead m and jaws 14 is greater than the friction between lead m and pointed end 8. This position is shown in Fig. 5; this length corresponds to the play between the opening cone 11 and the ends 15, i. e. to the stroke i shown in Figs. 2 and 2a.

Another construction is shown in Figs. 8 to y10. As before, the guide tube 5 is formed inment; said clamps 14 are normally driven up by a stop 20, which is urged by a spring 2l, into. a tapered closing member 22 in such manner as to maintain them closed. l`lie said closing member 22 is secured to a tube 23 which is slidable in the outer main body l upon the stationary member 24whose lower shoulder forms a stop for arresting-at the end of a stroke z'-the descent of the tapered member 22 coacting with the spring 21. A spring 25 tends to maintain in an elastic manner the relative position of the member 22 with reference to the slidable guide tube.

If an excessive external pressure is exerted on the end ot' the projecting lead m, said lead and closed clamp rise slightly against the acA tion of spring 25 which also tends to return the lead holder to the upper position.

The operation is essentially the same as in the preceding ease. Fig. 8 shows the normal position;'the clamp jaws are held in the tapered member 22, so that they areV pressed upon the upper piece of lead m. By pressing down the movable head of the device together with the holder 7, the guide tube 5 and the pointed end 8, and thereafter allowing the whole to rise, the stages of the operation are as follows. The aforesaid parts, together with the tapered member 22, the jaws 14, the stop 20 and the lead pieces, will descend through the distance i until the tube 23 makes Contact with the shoulder 3 and the tapered member 22 is stopped; the jaws 14, continuing to descend by action of tapered cone 11, now open because of the tapered nature of said cone and stop 20. The descent continues until the opening cone 11 of the guiding tube enters between the jaws 14 after passing through the space i (Fig. 8); the jaws 14 are impelled by thecone 11 and will thus descend together with the stop 20, compressing the s ring 21, so that the jaws will be rclease opening' cone 11 will then open the jaws. The upper lead piece m which during the stroke i became separated from the lower lead piece m held by friction in the pointed end 8 (Fig. 9), will now, since the clamp is open, drop down freely and again make contact with the lead m as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 9. On the return movement, due to the combined action of the springs 2l and 25, the whole of the guide tube, the movable stop 20, the tapered member 22 and the jaws 14 which are held open b the opening cone 11 which is still engage between the said jaws, will rise by a certain amount,-for instance i', after which, the spring 21 being fully expanded as illustrated 1n Figure 8, tapered member 22 ceases to rise and cone 11 is disengaged from the clamp under the action of s ring 25 and the clam now closes upon the ead and is engaged in its closing tapered member 22.v Finally,as the `s ring 25 continues toV expand, the guide tu 5 with the from the closing member 22 and the.

lll() pointed` end 8 will rise. to the upper limit,

'disengaged from its opening devicebefore while the leads are held fast by the clampso the end of the ascent of the said inner tube.

that the end of the-lead will be uncovered by the ointed end of the encil device.

T e elastic resilient y supported stop may `have its contact face formed as an inclined plane so as to facilitate the opening of the clampwhen the openingcone 11 is inserted between the jaws.

Obviously, the details of construction may be varied within wide limits without departing from the spirit of the invention.

' ner tube into its normal'position, and means Claims:

1. An ever-pointed pencil, comprising a clampingdevice for normally holding an upper piece of lead in a stationary position relatively to the mainbody of the pencil, a movable inner tube holding a lower piece of leadk affording assage thereto through its pointed end and a apted .to 'descend axially with reference' to the main body by suitable -controlling means, means servmg to release the upper piece of lead from its clamping device when the. said inner tube is lowered allowing the same to fall freely and abutsaid lower piece of lead, means for 'raising again said vinby which the upper piece of lead is again engaged inthe said clamping device before the end of the ascent of the inner tube, whereby the latter during its return to the normal position will slide upon the lower piece of lead and will thus u-ncover part of the lead.

2. An ever-pointed pencil, which comprises a clampfor normally holding an upper piece of lead in a stationary position rel,-

`fall and abutsaid lower piece of lead, andy ratively to the mainbodyl of the pencil, an

inner tube with pointed pencil end which is axiall movable with reference to the' said main, ody and allows a lowerpiece of lead to pass through it by easy friction, a controlling device connected with .the said innen. `tube and comprising means adapted for opening the said clamp whereby. the latter wil be' opened when the inner tube is lowered, allowing said 4upper piece of lead to means for returning the said controlling device to the normal position, and for again closing the said clamp before the saidposition is attained.

3. An ever-polnted'pencil, comprising an v; inner tube with pointed pencil end which is axially movable together with the controllingldevice and which allows a lower piece of lea to pass through it by friction, a clamp which normally seizes an upper piece of lead and is freely movable lengt wise in the main body of the pencil, a lower abutment for the said clamp a device for opening the clamp which'is axially movable together with the controlling device, a react-ion spring for raising the latter together with the said inner tube, and an up er abutment coacting with the said clamp y which the latter will be -formed by said upper piece of lead through. suitable apertures in the said tube, upper and lower abutments coacting with the said clamp, and an opening cone adapted to open the said clamp, formed inte ral with the said tube, and situated at a s ort distance from said clamp 'when in the normal position.

5. An ever-pointed .pencil, comprising al hollow controlling head, a lead containerformedby said hollow controlling head, a

tube with pointed pencil end prolonging said container and in which a bore is formed throughout its entire length for the passage of the leads, the lwhole device thus formed being axially movable in the main body of the pencil, a reaction spring for returning the vsaid device to the normal position, a clamp adapted to normally seizethe lead through Suitable apertures in the said tube, upper and Vlower abutments coacting with the said clamp, an openingcone adapted to open the said clamp, formed integral with the said tube, and situated at' a short distance from said clamp when in the normal position, said clamp being made in one piece and pierced at the center ofits lower end for the passage of an upper piece oflead. e

6. An ever-pointed pencil, comprising a hollow controlling-head, a lead container formed'by. said hollow controlling head, a tube with pointed pencil end prolonging said container and in which a bore is formed throughout its entire length for the passagel said tube and freely mounted between a lower elastic abutment 'urged by a spring which abuts against the stationary stop, and a tai pered closing member slidable by friction in the main body of the pencil, a shoulder formed on the said tube, and a spring interposed between said shoulder and said tapered' closing member, a lower abutment limiting the descentof said tapered member, and an opening cone adapted to open the jaws of the said clamp and disposed upon said tube.

7. An everointed pencil, comprising a hollow contro ing head, -a llead container formed by said hollow controlling head, a I

tube with pointed vpencil end prolonging said eontainer and in which a bore is formed throughout its entire fen h for the passage of the leads, the whole evice thus formed being axially movable inthe main body of the pencil, a clamp which consists of two separate' jaws extending through aperturesin the said tube and freely mounted between a lower elastic abutment urged by a spring which abuts against the stationar stop, and a tapered closing member slida le by lfriction in Vthe main. body of the pencil, a shoulder formed on `the said tube, and a spring interposed'betweenI said shoulder and said tapered closing member, a lower abutment limitin the normal the descent ofthe said tapered member,`an an opening -cone ada ted to open the jaws of the said clamp and posed upon said tube, the lower elastic abutment being formed with inclined surfaces coacting withlike surfaces formed on the jaws of the clamp.

`8.4 An ever-pointed pencil Vcomprising a clamping deviceior normally holding an uliper piece of lead in a stationary position re ative to the main body of the pencil, a movable inner tube holding a lower piece of lead and aiording frictional passage thereto through its pointed end and adapted to de- 1 scend axially with reference to the main body 'by suitable controlling means, means serving to release the upper piece of lead from its clamping device when the said inner tube is' lowered, and lettin it fall freely down upon the lower piece o lead, means for `raising again said inner tube into its normal position and means by which the upper piece of lead is again engagedin said clamping` device before the end of the ascent of the inner tube whereby the*` latter during its return to sition will slide upon the lower piece of lea and will thus uncover the lower end of same.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

PIERRE BARBERON. 

